This invention relates to dividers for containers and more particularly to a unique six-cell divider formed from a substantially rectangular one-piece blank of corrugated board.
Dividers have long been used in the corrugated container industry to form cells which separate and cushion the articles being shipped. Many articles are shipped in units of a dozen, or, particularly for larger items, units of a half-dozen, so six-cell dividers are often chosen.
The six-cell dividers known in the prior art typically take one of two forms. The more common of the two is the criss-cross divider assembled from three separate interlocking pieces. This design, however, is expensive to handle and assemble. Its bulk makes it difficult to store and it generally will not hold its shape inside a carton.
One-piece projecting-tab dividers were designed to overcome these disadvantages. The dividers are essentially two- or four-cell dividers with projecting cutouts which define the remaining cells. A divider of this type is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,982,684. Projecting-tab dividers lack the full-wall shielding necessary to protect breakable or perishable articles. Furthermore, the presence of cutouts depending on their location, greatly reduces the stacking strength of the assembled dividers. Also, the tabs are more likely to bend during the filling operation than would be the case with full walls. There exists a longfelt need in the container industry for a six-cell divider which combines strength and stability with ease of assembly.